Is the GP32 dead soon?

[Flack]

I came ... I saw ... I'm getting a refund.

Just out of curiosity, where did you buy your GP32 from? I have heard a lot of people telling horror stories about getting their broken GP32s fixed or replaced. I'm wondering what vendor offers a refund on the GP32 just because the owner is tired of it? Not being sarcastic, seriously wondering.

BTW ... does Pitfall use "3D reflection mapping"?

 

[Nutzo]

The point of the matter is that I've seen (to the fullist degree) what the PPC is capible of ... which is about 5 tiers above what the GP32 will ever hope for (ex: 3D reflection mapping).

Haw, and the controls would still SUCK!

As for Tomb Raider, big whoop. The GP32 could proabbly do that game too, and with controls and battery life that are better than a PPC.

Most GP32 users are not 3D whores, so if in fact PPC's are better for 3D, then that's all well and good. But so far emulators have not been "5 tiers" above GP32, in fact they are often a tier below. And no matter what, those controls are still crappy for action gaming. Not to mention screen orientation and battery life...

Now, give me a game oriented PocketPC with an optimized video subsystem, good controls and a horizontal screen - THEN I might see it your way. "X-Boy" anyone? Hehe.

 

[Meonlyeviler]

Emulation of the first generation of Sierra games (SpaceQuest 1 & 2, etc) runs perfect on my PPC as well, although I'd like to see support for the latter generation Sierra games (SpaceQuest 3, Quest for Glory 1 & 2, etc).

OH wow, so does gp32, dumbass

NES - NNNesterJ - v0.23 or FCE Ultra v0.93win (Not to mention Famicom disk support on both)
GB, GBC & GBA - VisualBoy Advance - 1v.5a
TurboGrafx 16 - Magic Engine v0.98
SNES - ZSNES v1.36 (Yes even Stunt Race FX and Doom run perfectly)
CPS1 & CPS2 Arcade - Kawaks 1.45 (Any game that is listed runs flawlessly)
NeoGeo Arcade - NeoRageX 0v.6b (Any game that is listed runs flawlessly and then some)

Hmm, you're already comparing the compatibility of PC emulators that have been out for ages to gp32's emulators that are still in their betas.

As far as Sega or the lower end systems go, I could care less (About the only good game on the GameGear was Columns, IMHO).

by saying that you're insulting sonic(many sonic games on game gear and master system) , YOu shall DIE for that.

Perhaps I should've gone with a PPC to begin with, I'll admit that I fell victim to impulse buying. Besides, I just like having a weather page, voice recorder, drawing pad, note taker, dictionary, library, headline news, jukebox, game system, and emulator (with a built in lithium ion battery which lasts between 8-12 hours) all in one unit.

Weather Page: Why?
Voice Recored: I could see some use to that, but at the same time why?
Drawing Pad: GPart
Note Taker: Kedit (amazingly enought, I'm really good at it, all we need now is a mavis beacon teaches typing for it)
Dictionary: kDict
Library: kReader
Head Line News: Thats acutally pretty cool, my news paper does it also
Jukebox: New Mp3Player for gp32
Game System: Need I say more, although I would like to say Jump n' Bump *drool*
Emulator: sms32, LJnes, Pcengine, Castaway/gp
Built IN battery: I like being able to switch between multiple rechargeable batteries, because once those hours are up, you gotta charge it again

Doom runs ok on the GP32, agreed ... although the joystick get me going in circles at times.

I wanna hear about what happens when you try it on PPC, it'll be alot worse

I'm only basing my ratings on emus that currently exist -- not what it'll be like in it's next release. Let's cross that road when it gets here.

The FNES32 does exsist, lots of people have played it already, ask flack

 

[Nutzo]

Is the giffel who started this topic the same giffel who did the (very nice) GUI for GPengine?!

Because I hope black- doesn't share his views on the GP32 if he is the same guy. GPengine is so good and I was hoping with all my heart to see a new version or 2 in the near future. :-/

 

[RoboJoe32]

All I have to say is this, your talk of pocket PCs is now making me make as grumpy a face as mr.buttons the homicidal tabby...

 

[Mofokubik]

No offense, but im happy to see you leave the gp32 community. Good luck with your pocket pc.

 

[Rico]

Of course, Mangax neglected to mention the massive price difference between a good PocketPC and a GP32... I don't need a bloody task manager when I have a notepad, so I don't need all that organiser stuff - I just paid for the gaming and media. If you wanted more than MP3, DivX and emulation, you should get a PocketPC, no doubt. Although I don't see what you think your pathetic whining will do to get you one faster.

 

[jot2b]

Re the 3D handheld hype mentioned earlier this thread, I think it is fair to mention that no matter how good 3D handhelds will be anytime in the future, PC's and consoles will always support way more advanced 3D gaming. This is not important if you don't mind playing older games, but if you care about your image to the point where you'd be embarrassed holding a "dorky" GP32 on a subway, don't kid yourself playing Tomb Raider will look any better. PSX and N64 are right now outdated, while Atari and NES will forever remain fashionable.

However, image is important to many people and therefore necessary for any electronics review, whether it be handhelds, headphones, or whatever, and those detached enough not to care are not wiser, they are merely advantaged in a small way.

I felt I had to point this out because I have no purpose to insult MangaX, though it seems many of you have chosen to do so. It's a shame because it's MangaX's criticisms that make a forum like this so useful to gamers unsure about whether a GP32 is right for them. Voice disagreements all you like, but choose your words carefully in defending something admittedly important to you; you are doing researching shoppers no favors by telling MangaX to go away, because his experience should dissuade like-minded individuals from making poor purchasing decisions. What's more, if you look back over his posts, you'll realize he already knows a thing or two about retrogames (I'm 21 but I've never even played a TGfX16 or SMS). I'm seeing a lot of close-mindedness from posters calling MangaX close-minded, and even some whining from those calling him a whiner. Let's just practice some tact and patience here guys.

Me, I can't wait to get my GP32 up and running, portable NES gaming alone will be practically worth the price of admission.

 

[giffel]

Hi Nutzo!

You wrote earlier in this thread

> Is the giffel who started this topic the same giffel who did the (very nice) GUI for GPengine?!

Yes, thats me. But please realize that I just asked the question WETHER the gp32 is dead. I left
the choice to the reader.

There are many arguments for that though. And if people are truthful, no other full speed
emulators will see the light of day. We saw so many wrong announcements of full speed snes, gba, or
genesis emus that i thought people will learn from that. Finally these emulators will come out, just only
way too slow to play. I just dont think that people will enjoy a 5fps emu. sure, they will download
and try it but then probably never really play a whole game through, since
its just too annoying.

People should just realize that we are at the peak and that there is not so much more to come. The
emus which are out and at full speed for the gp32 are enough for me, but people:
please dont expect more.

 

[JDUK]

.... but people:
please dont expect more.

Seriously, why not? I mean can any one state some technical reason its not possible? im not talking about "it would be to much effort" or "no one could be bothered" stuff but real technical proof that its not going to happen?

 

[Bonks]

There are many arguments for that though. And if people are truthful, no other full speed
emulators will see the light of day.

Optimistic fellow aint ya :blink:

To answer your original poll (without reading all the replys so aint commenting on them, this is just my own view, like u asked) I think the GP32 is only just begining.

Look at it this way, when i first heard of the GP i was thinking exactly this, it was quiet, there was FAR less to be excited about than there is now, and this is mostly only in the space of 4 months.

Then theres all the VERY exciting announcements recently. We got the new JoyGP site recently, we get the announcement of a Europe release (granted nothing since), we get told of new faster SNES emu, Genesis, NES ect ect, we hear that GPengine itself is well into being updated to even have multiplayer support over RF... the list goes on.

Remember, a LOT of these emus are being made for this compitition thats been running, im betting we will hear a LOT of good things in the next 2 months regarding these as the closing date is this month if i remember correctly.

Oh and theres romours going around of an official new firmware comming, this to me doesnt sound like a dying machine, ive heard more announcements in the home brew scene than i have for the GBA in recent months.

People should just realize that we are at the peak and that there is not so much more to come. The
emus which are out and at full speed for the gp32 are enough for me, but people:
please dont expect more.

you really are on a downer aint ye

 

[trooper]

Doom runs ok on the GP32, agreed ... although the joystick get me going in circles at times.

Don`t blame the fact that you can not play the game, On the GP32. :blink:
I guess you should stick to playing solitaire on the Pocket PC.

Trooper

 

[Duddyroar]

Mangax - I have some advice for you, friend. Don't bother playing videogames anymore. Your taste in interactive entertainment is totally warped. Sierra games are in a league of their own when it comes to suckiness. And there were plenty of decent titles for the Master System - the Alex Kidd series, Wonderboy, Psycho Fox, Phantasy Star, Y's: Vanished Omens, Lord of the Sword, Golvellius and R-Type, just to mention a few. And personally, I couldn't give a monkey's arse if Pocket PCs can play Tomb Raider - that game is the most bloated and overrated piece of software ever coded. You clearly have no idea what you're talking about when it comes to games, so get your refund, buy your PDA and use it to do REALLY EXCITING THINGS like storing your appointments or finding out what the weather is doing. You're clearly more excited about pointless features than pure gameplay. Oh, and here's another little insight that you may not be aware of - people will think you look like a dork when you play videogames in public, no matter what machine you play them on. It's a fact of life. I don't play videogames to look cool.

I actually got rid of my PDA to get my GP32 and I've never looked back since. I've yet to see another piece of hardware as pointless as a PDA. I stopped using the features on it within a few months. In fact the only thing I bothered with was the internet, and when it comes down to it I'd much rather be playing R-Type than surfing the net (I do enough surfing at home and at work). At the end of the day, I'd prefer to play games on a machine that was crafted for that purpose. That's the GP32.

On the subject of full speed emus, so long as the development community remains focused, it's possible to get a lot more out of the GP32. The GP32 is doing some amazing things right now, and I'm sure it's possible to get much, much more out of the machine. Even if the talented homebrew developers can't get anything else out of the GP32, I don't mind. There are so many PC Engine and Atari ST games that I've yet to play fully, those two emulators alone would keep me busy for months.

 

[giffel]

Look at it this way, when i first heard of the GP i was thinking exactly this, it was quiet, there was FAR less to be excited about than there is now, and this is mostly only in the space of 4 months.
[...]
we get the announcement of a Europe release (granted nothing since), we get told of new faster SNES emu, Genesis, NES ect ect, [...]
Remember, a LOT of these emus are being made for this compitition thats been running,
[...]
Oh and theres romours going around of an official new firmware comming, this to me doesnt sound like a dying machine,
[...]

I have my GP32 since well over a year now. And it bemuses me how people still care
about the "full speed [snes|gba|etc] emu soon" announcements. These were around
since the beginning. And your post just gives us the same. Announcements. I dont
see any point in these, espacially since you never can guess how fast your emu will
be IN THE FUTURE. And if they are already as fast as the developers claim, why dont they
release them?

And I hope many people remember how often since a year or so a european launch is
already promised. If you still believe its going to happen, do so. I just dont see the
financial muscle in gamepark to do any proper advertising, public relations, etc to do
anymore a launch than what happened already with the few importers like gbax, etc.

And believe me, emus are not being done for a competition where you can win a hundred
bucks. These are more nice to take in the process if you are inclined to.

Regarding the firmware, its being done by korean home brew programmers (k2yaa).
Thats nice in itself, but it also shows how much resources / skilled people gamepark
has at the moment.

Perhaps Im just being too realistic.

 

[pirloui]

1
espacially since you never can guess how fast your emu will
be IN THE FUTURE. And if they are already as fast as the developers claim, why dont they
release them?

2
Regarding the firmware, its being done by korean home brew programmers (k2yaa).
Thats nice in itself, but it also shows how much resources / skilled people gamepark
has at the moment.

1
---------
I definitly get your ideau, but a full speed PCE was made, the PCE was way more powerfull than the NES.. So there should be a possibility that teh two newcomers on that front makes it: the previous latest version of a NES emu was from summer 02..

2
-----------
ressources, ok, but skilled people.. why shouldnt they be skilled?

 

[Mofokubik]

WOW, he sure is bothering alot of people..lol

Please dont pay him too much attention, His following comments might make less sense.

 

[giffel]

I definitly get your ideau, but a full speed PCE was made, the PCE was way more powerfull than the NES..[...]

My rant wasn't about a NES emu. Speedwise Nes shouldn't be a problem. I dont
doubt that a full speed one will come out eventually. But think of it, most of the
old systems ARE already emulated on the gp32. My claim was that you shouldnt
expect much more to come.
I have my doubts regarding the so often claimed new full speed emulated
16bit systems, which are yet to be seen.

 

[Meonlyeviler]

Yay all those stupid 16 bit systems that we never see, when will they make an emulator for the Atari St, that was a good 16 bit system.

I too have been around the gp32 community since the beginging, back when I use to have the screen name Nowithkungfugrip, and I must admit alot of things didn't seem to get updates back then, but now it seems like everyones starting to update their emulators and programs. One of these include doom

 

[rcx21000]

I think that a bit more will come out.... As good as PCE SNES almost 100% sure.... GBA won't happen.... Genenisis (sp?) won't happen at full speed (but I don't know anything about the SYS so I could be wrong).... If no other emus come out there are enough already (not meaning we don't want more, meaning that I can live with this but fullspeed SNES would be gr8).... Plus the homebrew games will keep coming and keep coming unless somehow all the possibilities are done (which means there will be a liero game for it ).... What I really want is liero.... Badly....

 

[Meonlyeviler]

If snes comes out full speed, I'm postive genesis will